Sen. Stamas concerned about raising public school dropout age to 18

Published 7:00 pm, Saturday, March 7, 2009

State Sen. Tony Stamas, a Midland Republican, voiced concerns Friday about a bill which could delay dropping out of school by some Michigan teens.

If the bill becomes law, most Michigan public school students would not be allowed to drop out of high school before they turn 18 unless they have a parent's or guardian's written consent.

A century-old Michigan law now allows students to drop out of high school after their 16th birthday.

Voting against the bill Wednesday were both of Midland County's state representatives - Republicans Bill Caul of Mount Pleasant and Jim Stamas (a brother of Tony Stamas) of Midland - and Tim Moore of Farwell.

But the bill was sent to the Senate in a 71-37 vote that was mostly along party lines in the Democratic-controlled House.

Caul was a Mount Pleasant public schools teacher, special education administrator and coach before he retired.

Supporters of requiring students to stay in school longer say it could improve Michigan's graduation rate and give more young people a chance at future success.

Sen. Stamas said he hasn't seen the bill, which he expects will be assigned to a committee of the Republican-controlled Senate.

He said he wants students to get the needed tools to succeed in the "new economy and information age" by staying in school and learning.

But, he added, "We need to make sure that schools have the tools to address" the situation if lawmakers raise the dropout age.

"There's a point where some students just don't want to be (in school)" and can be disruptive, he said.

"Just being in the classroom isn't going to give them the skills they need," he added.

Supporters of the bill say other initiatives, from hiring more truancy officers to more investment in early education and career-oriented programs, also are needed to keep students in school.

"This is the first step of a nine, 10-step process," said Rep. Tim Melton, a Democrat from Auburn Hills.

Rep. David Agema, a Grandville Republican, said the legislation, if it becomes law, would be unenforceable.

Agema and other opponents said they are worried that forcing students to remain in school against their will could ruin the atmosphere for those who want to be in school.

Opponents also worry about the potential cost, which could add up to $230 million a year in per-pupil funding, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency. If all students actually remained in school to age 18, it could boost statewide K-12 public school enrollment by about 30,000 students.